www.geneca.ufz.de Predictors of Pro-environmental Behaviour: A Capability Perspective Torsten Masson torsten.masson@ufz.de GeNECA Gerechte nachhaltige Entwicklung auf Basis des Capability Ansatzes
Agenda I. Capability Approach (CA) and Sustainable Development (SD) I. Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) I. Pro-environmental behaviour (PEB): Empirical results from GSOEP-IS I. Discussion Seite 2
I Capability Approach & SD Linking the Capability Approach & Sustainable Development: 2 ways I) Capabilities provide the metric of SD ( What should be preserved? ) shift from needs (Brundtland) to capabilities/ functions focus on freedom in defining SD CA accounts for sympathy and commitment as opposed to ego-focused approaches II) CA provides a measurement heuristic for SD CA functions as a modeling framework, identifying opportunities and constraints for e.g. proenvironmental behaviour Seite 3
I Capability Approach & SD Social conversion factors / Social context (social norms, other people's behaviour, infrastructure) Preference formation (attitudes, habits) Individual Capability set Achieved conversion factors (education, health) (i.e. opportunities for proenvironmental behaviours) Choice functionings / Behaviour Resources (income, time) Adapted from Robeyns (2005) Seite 4
II Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) Social cognitive approach developed by Ajzen (1988, 1991) based on Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein/ Ajzen) TRA/TPB qualifies attitudebehaviour relationship Widely used in research on pro-environmental behaviour 3 proximal predictors of behavioral intentions attitudes, social (subjective) norms, perceived behavioral control intentions mediate influence of predictors on behaviour Several extensions of TPB e.g. descriptive & personal Seite 5
II Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) Taken from Ajzen (1991) Seite 6
III Empirical results (GSOEP-IS) Analysis of general environmental behaviour (GEB) based on the data of Kaiser/Ott GEB = cumulative index of environmental behaviours with various difficulties 6 behavioral domains: mobility, energy, consumption, recycling, waste, general pro-environmental behaviour Specific analysis of GeNECA data on purchase of organic food and use of public transport / bike for inner-city rides Seite 7
III Theoret. framework pro-environm. behaviour Social conversion factors Perceived consumer effectiveness New Environmental Paradigm (Awareness of consequences) Self-identity as ecologically responsible consumer Individual conversion factors Education Age / Sex Self-efficacy for proenvironmental behaviour Perceived opportunities for pro-environmental behaviour General Environmental Behaviour Resources Income General life opportunities Seite 8
III General Environm. Beh.: Method / Measures Correlational design, n = 433 (219 with income) Dependent measure: frequency of approx. 20 environmental behaviours Independent measures: Resources: Monthly income Individual conversion factors: Age, sex, education, selfefficacy for pro-environmental behaviours (1 item: How much can you contribute to environmental protection? ) Social conversion factor: perceived consumer effectiveness (1 item: How much can consumers contribute to environmental protection? ) Seite 9
III General Environm. Beh.: Method / Measures New environmental paradgim (NEP, Dunlap et al. 2000): 15 items (α =.77), measures perceived human impact on nature (environmental concern) Self-identity as ecologically responsible consumer (Whitmarsh/O'Neill 2010, 4 items, α =.74, e.g. Protecting the environment is important to me ) General life opportunities (8 items, α =.82, opportunities for income, healthy lifestyle, social contacts, education etc.) Mediator: Perceived opportunities for proenvironmental behaviour (1 item, How big are your opportunities to behave environmental friendly? ) Seite 10
III GEB: Empirical model I Education -.0743* R 2 =.498** Perceived opportunities General Age.0107** for pro-environmental behaviour Environmental Behaviour.0745** Self-efficacy for proenvironmental behaviour.9108** General life opportunities ** p <.001 * p <.01 Seite 11
III GEB: Empirical model II Education.096*** Age.003** R 2 =.14*** Self-efficacy for proenvironmental behaviour.021* General Environmental Behaviour Self-identity.131***.196*** NEP.119* Self-identity x NEP *** p <.01 ** p <.05 * p <.1 Seite 12
III Summary General Environmental Behaviour Direct positive effects of education, age, self-efficacy beliefs, self-identity as environmental responsible consumer and NEP on GEB-scale no effects of income on GEB Moderator effect of self-identity on NEP stronger relationship between NEP and GEB at higher levels of self-identity as envir. resp. consumer Effects of resources, individual and social conversion factors are not mediated by perceived personal opportunities for pro-environmental behaviour Seite 13
III Theoret. framework pro-environm. behaviour Social conversion factors Descriptive norms Public Infrastructure Social recognition for pro-environmental behaviour Preference formation Attitudes towards organic food / public transport & bike Habits (nutrition, mobility) Self-identity as ecologically responsible consumer Individual conversion factors Education Age Sex Health Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food / use of public transport & bike Intention to purchase organic food / use public transport & bike Resources Income Time Seite 14
III Specific PEBs: Methods / Measures Dependent measures: Intention to buy organic food / use public transport (1 item: How often do you intend to within the next 2 months? ) Frequency of purchase of organic food / use of public transport & bike (1 item, How often have you within the last 2 months? ) Independent measures: Resources: perceived financial and time barriers for purchase of organic food / use of public transport & bike Individual conversion factors: Age, sex, education, perceived health barriers for use of public transport Seite 15
III Specific PEBs: Methods / Measures Social conversion factors: descriptive norms for purchase of organic food / use of public transport & bike (1 item, Most of the people, who are important for me, buy organic food / use public transport for inner-city rides. ), perceived infrastructure barriers for purchase of organic food / use of public transport Attitude towards organic food / public transport & bike (2 items, e.g. Purchasing organic food is good. ) Habits: perceived habit barriers for purchase of organic food / use of public transport 6 bike (1 item, Purchasing organic food / using public transport is against my habits. ) Seite 16
III Specific PEBs: Methods / Measures Social recognition for purchase of organic food / use of public transport & bike (1 item, Others have recognized that I purchase organic food / use public transport. ) Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food / use of public transport & bike (1 item, How much freedom do you have to buy organic food / use public transport for inner-city rides. ) Seite 17
III Purchase organic food: Empirical model I Sex Education R 2 =.199*** R 2 =.376*** Financial barrier Infrastructure barrier Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food.343*** Intention to purchase organic food Descriptive Norm Social recognition *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 18
III Purchase organic food: Empirical model II Education R 2 =.343*** R 2 =.483*** Infrastructure barrier Attitude towards organic food.487*** Intention to purchase organic food Social recognition Descriptive Norm Self-identity ecol. resp. consumer *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 19
III Purchase organic food: Empirical model III Age Self-identity R 2 =.559*** Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food.278*** Intention to purchase organic food Descriptive norm Attitude Habit barrier *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 20
III Purchase organic food: Empirical model IV Education Self-identity Social recognition R 2 =.513*** Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food.336*** Purchase organic food Sex Attitude Habit barrier *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 21
III Moderation analysis purchase organic food Attitude Attitude x perc. freedom R 2 =.446*** Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food.396*** Purchase of organic food Self-identity x perc. freedom Self-identity *** p <.001 Seite 22
III Summary Purchase organic food Direct effects of education (+), attitude (+), selfidentity (+), perceived freedom (+), sex (+), social recognition (+) and habit (-) on purchase behaviour Comparable results for intentions but no direct effects of sex and social recognition (instead effect of descript. Norm) Effects of education (+), sex (+), descriptive norm (+), social recognition (+) and infrastructure & financial barriers (-) on intentions are mediated by perceived freedom Effects of education (+), self-identity (+), descriptive norm (+), social recognition (+) and infrastructure Seite 23
III Use public transport / bike: Empirical model I Descriptive norm Social recognition R 2 =.275*** R 2 =.319*** Infrastructure barrier -.345*** (-.137***) Perceived freedom for use of public transport / bike for inner-city rides.334*** Intention to use public transport / bike for inner-city rides Time barrier *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 24
III Use public transport / bike: Empirical model II Descriptive norm Sex R 2 =.207*** R 2 =.349*** Self-identity.221*** (.189**) Attitude towards use of public transport / bike for inner-city rides.478*** Intention to use public transport / bike for inner-city rides Time barrier *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 25
III Use public transport / bike: Empirical model III Education Self-identity R 2 =.478*** Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food.287*** Intention to use public transport / bike for inner-city rides Descriptive norm Attitude Habit barrier *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 26
III Use public transport / bike: Empirical model III Attitude Self-identity R 2 =.448*** Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food.446*** Use public transport / bike for inner-city rides Descriptive norm Habit barrier *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 27
III Moderation analysis use of public transport Attitude Attitude x perc. freedom R 2 =.430*** Perceived freedom use of public transport / bike.467*** Use of public transport / bike for inner-city rides Self-identity x perc. freedom Self-identity *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 28
III Summary Use of public transport / bike Direct effects of attitude (+), self-identity (+), perceived freedom (+), descriptive norm (+) and habit (-) on inner-city mobility behaviour Comparable results for intentions but additional direct effects of education (+) Effects of descriptive norm (+), social recognition (+) and time & financial barriers (-) on intentions are mediated by perceived freedom to use public transport / bike Effects of sex (+), self-identity (+), descriptive norm (+), and time barrier (-) on intentions are mediated by attitudes towards public transport / bike Seite 29
III Moderation analysis I Attitude R 2 =.448*** Perceived freedom for purchase of organic food.446*** Purchase of organic food Self-identity *** p <.001 ** p <.01 * p <.05 Seite 30
IV Key points / Discussion Standardized regression coefficients DV IV Attit ude Desc. norm Perceiv. freedo m Selfidentity Habit barrier Age Sex Social Recogniti on Educat ion Intention purch. organic food a Behav. organic food b.332.087.291.071 -.254 -.068.225.344.111 -.237.093.077.07 a R 2 =.559 b R 2 =.513 Seite 31
IV Key points / Discussion Standardized regression coefficients DV IV Attitud e Desc. norm Perceiv. freedom Selfidentity Habit barrier Age Educatio n Intention use public transp./ bike a.278.093.320.081 -.251.077 Behav. use public transp./ bike b.150.087.473.093 -.169 a R 2 =.478 b R 2 =.448 Seite 32
III Key points / Discussion Perceived freedom to purchase organic food / use public transport & bike as strongest predictor of the two pro-environmental behaviours (other strong predictors are attitudes and habits) Perceived freedom (partly) mediates effects of descriptive norms, social recognition and sociodemographic variables Moderator effects of perceived freedom and attitudes / self-identity (positive interaction) illustrates the importance of freedom / autonomy for proenvironmental behaviours possible further research to self-determination theory (intrinsic motivation) and Seite 33